Transmit gating in a wireless communication system

Abstract

A method and system for communicating a frame of information according to both a continuous transmit format and a discontinuous transmit format. The present invention contemplates transmitting one or more data rates in either a continuous transmit mode (814) or a discontinuous transmit mode (812). The present invention contemplates continuous transmission only for certain data rates, and selection between continuous and discontinuous transmission for other data rates (810). Frames transmitted in the discontinuous transmit mode may be transmitted at a higher transmit power than in the continuous transmit mode (820). In one embodiment, the information is transmitted at a fifty-percent duty cycle during the second half of the frame when in the discontinuous transmit mode (808). During periods of non-transmission, an alternative system may be searched for as a possible candidate for hard handoff (816).

I claim:  
     
       1. A method of transmitting a reverse link signal, the method comprising: 
       generating a first frame of data having a first data rate of a plurality of possible data rates;  
       selecting a discontinuous transmit mode based on the first data rate; and  
       transmitting the reverse link signal in the discontinuous transmit mode, wherein the reverse link signal comprises a pilot signal and a data signal, and wherein the data signal comprises the frame of data.  
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  further comprising modulating the pilot signal and the data signal to provide the reverse link signal. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
       generating a second frame of data having a second data rate of the plurality of possible data rates; and  
       selecting a continuous transmit mode based on the second data rate.  
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first data rate is eighth-rate. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the reverse link signal at a 50% duty cycle. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the reverse link signal during a contiguous period representing half of a frame period. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5  wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the reverse link signal during an earlier half of a 20 millisecond frame period. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 5  wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the reverse link signal during a latter half of a 20 millisecond frame period. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  wherein the reverse link signal further comprises power control bits, and wherein the transmitting the reverse link signal in the discontinuous transmit mode results in a reduction in the update rate of the power control bits. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1  further comprising determining whether to transmit discontinuously, wherein the selecting is further based on the determining. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  wherein the determining is based on a user-defined preference. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10  wherein the determining is based on a transmit power of a mobile station transmitter. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10  wherein the determining is based on a discontinuous mode message received from a base station. 
     
     
       14. A reverse link transmission apparatus comprising: 
       variable rate data source configured to generate a first frame of data having a first data rate of a plurality of possible data rates;  
       modulator configured to modulate a pilot signal and the first frame of data to provide a reverse link signal;  
       transmitter configured to transmit the reverse link signal, wherein the reverse link signal comprises a pilot signal and a data signal, and wherein the data signal comprises the frame of data; and  
       control processor configured to select a discontinuous transmit mode based on the first data rate and to control gating of the transmitter based on the selecting a discontinuous transmit mode.  
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the control processor is further configured to select a continuous transmit mode based on a second data rate of a frame generated by the variable rate data source, and to control gating of the transmitter based on the selecting a continuous transmit mode. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the control processor is further configured to select a discontinuous transmit mode when the first frame of data is an eighth-rate frame. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the control processor is configured to control gating of the transmitter in the discontinuous transmit mode at a 50% duty cycle. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the control processor is configured to control gating of the transmitter in the discontinuous transmit mode by enabling transmission during half of a frame period. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the control processor is configured to control gating of the transmitter in the discontinuous transmit mode by enabling transmission during an earlier half of a 20 millisecond frame period. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the control processor is configured to control gating of the transmitter in the discontinuous transmit mode by enabling transmission during a latter half of a 20 millisecond frame period. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the modulator is further configured to modulate power control bits to provide the reverse link signal, and wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit fewer power control bits per frame in the discontinuous transmit mode than in a continuous transmit mode. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the control processor is further configured to determine whether to transmit discontinuously and to base the selecting on the determining. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the control processor is configured to base the determining on a user-defined preference. 
     
     
       24. The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the control processor is configured to base the determining on a transmit power of a mobile station transmitter. 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the control processor is configured to base the determining on a discontinuous mode message received from a base station. 
     
     
       26. A reverse link transmission apparatus comprising: 
       means for generating a first frame of data having a first data rate of a plurality of possible data rates;  
       means for selecting a discontinuous transmit mode based on the first data rate; and  
       means for transmitting a reverse link signal in the discontinuous transmit mode, wherein the reverse link signal comprises a pilot signal and a data signal, and wherein the data signal comprises the frame of data.